Twisted Fate
by Lord Lycaon
Summary: After an encounter with a Space Pirate warship, Samus finds herself stranded on an unindentified planet, where she encounters bizarre creatures of all shapes and sizes. A single wolf and a tiny sprite are her only allies on this odd world. But the worst is yet to come...
1. Chapter 1

The cosmos. A vast, endless frontier. Billions upon billions upon billions of stars, and even more worlds, just waiting to be discovered and explored. Who knows what sort strange, exotic, and sometimes even dangerous creatures inhabited those worlds? What kind of advanced civilizations lie in wait for the one who is destined to find them? Will anyone ever be able to learn about all these new planets before the universe inevitably falls fades from existence?

All of those thoughts and questions meant nothing to Samus Aran, the renowned and even feared bounty hunter who has destroyed entire planets. Sure, it could be fun to explore the vast reaches of space, but after so many years, it grows tiresome and dull. She only explored new planets because the Federation often paid her to do so. Hell, she only met new people because she was paid to do it. And she didn't often like those new people.

"Gear," she said to her ship's onboard AI, "how long until we reach Earth? I'm looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed."

"Maybe a real shower wouldn't be a bad idea either," Gear replied. Samus rolled her eyes at the computer's joke. Gear is an AI that she programmed into her ship herself. She didn't like the idea of having an emotionless drone to talk to though, so she got an expert to help her with that. The result was a bored, sarcastic, and ridiculously intelligent computer system that sometimes argued with Samus over who should pilot the ship. Still, his dry humor, even in the darkest of times, could really lighten the tension, and she appreciated that much at least. "We'll reach Earth in about six standard hours."

Samus nodded. "Okay." She reclined the pilot's seat so that she was lying back. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. Wake me up when we get there."

"All right," Gear said as he took over control of the gunship. "Sweet dreams, Blondie." Samus chuckled and closed her eyes. As usual, sleep came almost immediately.

-o-

If he had lungs, Gear would've sighed out of boredom. It was nice being able to control the ship for a while, but after two hours of nothing but space, it became a cheap thrill. He envied Samus to some degree; she could just sleep through the dullness and wake up back at home. Being an AI, sleeping meant shutting himself down; waking up from that was rarely a pleasant experience.

He kept checking everything the ship had onboard besides himself: the med bay, the mini-factory for Samus's missiles, the built-in recharge station, the radar, everything. Anything to keep himself busy. Nothing was wrong at all. Of course nothing was wrong. And the odds of them getting attacked in Federation space were slim to none. What sentient creature besides the Space Pirates would be dumb enough to attack Samus Aran head-on?

_BOOM!_

"Looks like we'll get to find out," Gear muttered as Samus scrambled awake.

"Gear, what the hell is going on!?" Samus asked the AI.

"Oh, the usual," the computer replied. "We're just being attacked by some dumbass with a death wish. Nothing too out of the ordinary."

Samus ignored Gear's tone and immediately materialized her Power Suit and took over control of the ship. She steered it so that she could face their attacker. Her eyes widened in shock at what she saw: a full-blown Space Pirate warship. Not good at all.

"Figures," Samus muttered. "These guys just don't know when or where to quit."

Gear chuckled. "Shall I blow them to bits with the ship's missiles?"

"I'll do it." Samus then pressed a button, readying the missiles for launch. "You know, I'd give them a warning shot, but that option is apparently out the window."

"Agreed."

Just as Samus was just about to launch an explosive barrage, she saw something out of the ordinary rise out from the side of the warship. It looked like a large turret of some sort. The machine began charging a dark green light ever so gradually.

"Hey, look!" Gear said in an upbeat tone. "It's glowing!"

"Wonderful," Samus muttered. "I doubt it'll shoot kittens and rainbows. We're getting out of here." Samus readied the ship's thrusters, but all she got was a low whine from the engines. "What's happening?"

"We're caught in a tractor beam!" Gear suddenly alert to the situation. "We're trapped!"

Samus stared at the large cannon that was aimed directly at her ship, suddenly feeling like a deer in headlights. Tractor beams were nearly impossible to escape from. "This simply cannot end well," she said with some finality.

The cannon fired. Samus closed her eyes and waited for the blast to envelop her ship. But it didn't. After several seconds she cracked one eye open, only to see the strangest thing: the blast from the pirate warship's turret was just floating there, doing nothing. "Um… Gear?"

"I've already started a scan," the AI replied. The large green orb floated ominously. "It looks it's… oh, boy."

"What is it?" Samus asked, not liking how Gear suddenly sounded distressed. Her question was answered when the green orb suddenly exploded, blinding her with the nauseous shade.

-o-

The birds sang cheerfully as the sun rose for yet another day. The bright air warmed Amaterasu's fur comfortably as she gazed at the vast Shinshu Field. It was beautiful, as always, thought the wolf goddess. She could just sit and stare for hours if it wasn't for her constant to need to move around. She leapt from ledge that she was standing on and headed immediately for Kamiki Village.

The villagers were preparing for this year's big festival, which would be in about a week. She helped with the decorations and other preparations, such as fireworks, food, sake, etc. As she entered the village, she saw Issun hopping toward her excitedly.

"Hey, Ammy!" the little Poncle called happily. "Did you hear about that shooting star from last night?" The she-wolf cocked her head in response. "I've been hearing that it landed somewhere out near the Moon Cave at around midnight. You weren't here, so I guess it makes sense that you haven't heard yet. You wanna go check it out?" Amaterasu barked and wagged her tail. Curiosity was one of her flaws, and she was proud of it. If there was something new, she wanted to see it. "Then let's go, furball!"

Ammy turned as Issun bounced up onto her head and sat in her fur. She headed off toward the lake where the Moon Cave lay hidden, wondering what kind of mysteries awaited.


	2. Chapter 2

Samus groaned in some pain as she woke up and rose slightly from her position. She had a splitting headache that persisted in her skull. She looked around at the inside of her gunship. Things were scattered about and monitors flickered on and off. Some of the monitors were just plain broken and sparking.

"Ugh… Gear?" she asked for the AI program. "Are you all right?" No reply. "Gear?" Still nothing. "Damn it." He must've been fried by the explosion. The last time something like that happened, she was stranded on Tallon IV. The unbearable thought of being alone on a hostile planet was almost maddening. She hated the thought of having to go through a mess like that again. It took months to fix him up after.

She looked out the ship's window and saw that they had least crashed with _some_ grace. They in a rocky area of some sort, apparently an island from all the water that she could see beyond the rocks. She sighed. She might as well get out and see what repairs would be necessary from the outside. She readied her Power Suit and rode the lift that exited from the top of her gunship. She rose from the shuttle and ran a quick manual scan of the atmosphere. When she confirmed no toxins in the air, she deactivated her armor so that she would be able to squeeze into the more cramped spaces of the ship.

"Thrusters busted, lift damaged," she muttered to herself as she surveyed the crash site. "Hull's in bad shape, too. This might take a while to fix without Gear's help." She sighed and sat on the ground, leaning back on her ship. She then realized that she was already talking to herself. "Perfect." Whenever she was alone, she would start talking to herself. Tallon IV was the worst case for this. She had had full-blown conversations with herself, even arguments. Just another quirk that came with being a lone bounty hunter, she assumed. Either that or she was already partially insane.

She looked out at what must've been a large lake. The sun looked like it had only risen a few minutes ago. It really was a beautiful sight, with great mountains rising up in the distance and the sky as clear as it can be. The water itself was sparkling clean and reflected everything on its surface. It reminded her somewhat of… K-2L. She had once visited the mining world where she had been born. Despite the horrible things that had happened there, she admired the natural scenery.

She suddenly thought of something: what if the Space Pirates were here, too? It wouldn't be at all surprising to her. The pirates seemed to have bases everywhere. God knows she encounters one at least once every two weeks.

"Over there!" shouted a high-pitched voice, catching Samus's attention. She looked over in the direction of the voice and saw white creature running over to her position. She immediately moved behind her ship. Personal experience has taught her that any non-hominid would likely try to kill her.

The white-furred creature slowed to a walk. Samus watched it carefully. It looked like an ordinary wolf from Earth. It simply started sniffing around the gunship, apparently curious about the craft. Samus discretely activated her Power Suit and quickly scanned the wolf. What she learned caught her completely off guard.

_Energy readings from that thing are off the charts,_ she thought as her eyes narrowed. _It's got the potential to be an Omega-level Black Hole-class threat._ She readied her Arm Cannon, just in case. She would give a warning shot. Hopefully, the wolf would run at the sound of her Power Beam.

-o-

Amaterasu looked at the huge orange thing with her head cocked. It sort of reminded her of Kaguya's giant flying bamboo shoot, but was far different in its look.

"What is that thing?" Issun wondered aloud. He cocked his head from side to side, trying to figure out the answer to that question. "Hey, Ammy, what do ya say we get a closer look?" Ammy nodded and took a step forward.

_POP!_

A bolt of yellow energy impacted the ground right in front of them, making Amaterasu take an instinctive step back. She growled and snarled, looking for whoever tried to attack her.

"Hey!" Issun shouted angrily. "What the heck was that!? Is someone trying to kill us!? Not that that would be anything new, but still. Who's there?"

Thudding footsteps could be heard, like metal on stone. Soon, the Nipponese duo could see a tall, metallic being, aiming at them with what looked like a cannon on its arm. The being was covered in orange and yellow armor. It looked like it had a single, glowing green eye right on its face, with tubes coming out of where its mouth should've been. Its shoulders were huge, round orange orbs.

"Ah, so you've decided to show yourself, eh?" Issun asked tauntingly as Amaterasu began circling the metal creature, still growling viciously. "Come on, Ammy! Let's teach metal head here some manners!"

Amaterasu barked at the armored being, then pounced forward, fangs and claws bared. The metal thing sidestepped out of the way of the she-wolf's attack and began firing more yellow bolts at a rapid pace. Amaterasu sprinted to avoid the bolts. She had the distinct feeling that they would wreck her if they hit.

"Ammy, try the Veil of Mist technique!" Issun suggested. Amaterasu nodded and quickly drew two lines with her ink-tipped tail, creating the time-slowing fog of Kasugami. The metal being's bolts slowed dramatically, as did the creature itself. Ammy decided that now was the time to act.

-o-

As soon as the strange fog settled in from nowhere, Samus saw that the wolf's speed increased terrifically. The beast's fangs and claws raked across her armor at an impossible rate. If she hadn't been wearing her Power Suit, she would certainly have been killed in a second. Thankfully, the fog lifted, and the wolf's speed returned to normal.

_The fog increases its speed,_ Samus thought. _I'm guessing that fog wasn't natural. But how did that wolf create it?_

She looked up on her helmet's HUD. Thankfully, only one Energy Tank had been expended by the wolf's barrage. But if the wolf could create that fog at any time, she would definitely lose more than one tank.

She prepped her Arm Cannon to use the Wave Beam. With any luck, the triple-shot feature and electrical properties of the Chozo weapon would be able to at least slow the wolf. The homing feature couldn't hurt either. She then proceeded firing the purple bolts at the wolf.

-o-

Amaterasu jumped to dodge the new purple shots. After the armored being let out three shots of the apparently triple-bolt attack, it stopped, but was still aiming at her.

"What's wrong, metal head?" Issun taunted the creature. "You out of ammo or something? Too bad! Ammy, let's-!" Before he could finish, Amaterasu was struck from behind by the same purple blasts that the being had fired just seconds earlier. All nine individual shots hit her, and what felt like electricity ran through her body painfully, paralyzing her.

The metal monster stepped forward, its cannon still poised to fire. It was in a position for a kill shot. Amaterasu had to think fast. Shakily, she drew a figure-eight, which manifested itself just behind the armored being. Moegami's Fireburst then suddenly exploded, sending the creature flying over Ammy, who managed to catch a quick breath and sighed deeply through her nose. She could already tell that this would be a tough opponent

-o-

Samus picked herself up and shook her head to get the stars out of her eyes. Where had that explosion come from? Can the wolf create blasts of fire as well as fog? She cursed under breath. This wolf was obviously trouble. _I guess I'll have to resort to missiles,_ she thought as she readied her cannon to fire the explosive projectiles.

She turned and aimed at the white wolf, who was apparently ready for more. The bounty hunter braced herself and launched one of her many missiles.

-o-

Ammy leaped out of the way of the new projectile, which exploded upon impact with a tree behind her. The godly wolf made a mental note to avoid the armored monster's attacks from now on. She quickly drew a trio of horizontal lines on top of herself, effectively turning herself into a living cyclone of destruction, and charged at the orange creature.

The armored being was sucked into the hurricane, and tossed and turned about until finally being launched out and slamming into the mysterious orange craft. The metal entity landed on the ground and didn't move. With any luck, it was now unconscious.

Amaterasu approached the creature carefully. "Ha!" Issun exclaimed. "Take that, metal head! That'll teach you to mess with-!" The Poncle was interrupted when the being suddenly started glowing in an orange light. Both the goddess and the Poncle covered their eyes to keep themselves from being blinded. They inched their eyes open when they felt that the light had subsided. Their eyes widened at what now lay before them. A blond woman wearing a blue, skintight jumpsuit lay sprawled out on the ground, completely out cold.

"Whoa," Issun muttered. "Didn't see that coming."


	3. Chapter 3

_Samus opened her eyes, only to see more blackness surrounding her. She was used to darkness. She flew through space most every day. But there was something… off about the shadows around her. There was something… chaotic within the darkness._

_Suddenly, she could see an intricate pattern of dark red lights. They seemed to form an image of a hand with clawed fingers holding an orb of some sort._

I know you can hear me, human,_ a menacing voice rasped out. The voice sent chills down her spine._ You are the one. Seek me out, ye who aim for vengeance against those who have so wronged you.

_"Who are you?" Samus called out. "Where am I?"_

Your answers shall come in due time, child, _the voice replied somewhat ominously._ All in due time. For now, you must wake. _The image vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared. She could no longer feel herself._

-o-

Samus's eyes opened slowly. She felt as though she had been hit by a train. Repeatedly. She sat up in the bed that she found herself in and looked around at her new surroundings. She was in a room with walls that literally looked as though they were made of paper. The bed she was in was actually a futon, and a comfy one at that. She couldn't help but think of ancient Japanese culture when she looked at it all.

She heard the sound of a sliding door opening, and turned in the sound's direction to see an old woman who, weirdly enough, had an orange balanced upon her head. She wore what appeared to be a typical Japanese kimono.

"Oh, you're awake," the elder said with surprise evident in her voice. "That's wonderful! Would you like something to eat?" Samus was about to reply when her stomach answered for her, bellowing for nourishment. The woman chuckled at the bounty hunter's embarrassment. "I'll get something for you, dear." With that, she left Samus alone.

The bounty hunter sat quietly, awaiting the elderly woman's return. Her mind inevitably wandered to that strange dream that she had just had. That odd symbol, the sinister voice, the sudden chill down her spine; it was nerve-wracking to say the least. Stranger still, it was the first dream she ever had that wasn't about that horrible day from so many years ago.

_You are the one. Seek me out, ye who aim for vengeance against those who have so wronged you._ That's what the voice had said to her. She instinctively tried to dismiss it as just a dream, but something wouldn't let her. She was "the one?" What in the world could that mean? And what did that odd symbol stand for? Gift-giving? Theft? World conquest? The possibilities seemed endless to her.

The door opening again cancelled her train of thought. The strange old lady walked in with a tray of bagel-sized cakes. She smiled and said, "I hope you like cherry cakes. They're my specialty."

"Thank you," Samus said, taking one of the cakes and biting into it. The consistency was kind of sticky, which she could've done without, but it was sweet, and was filled with what she could only assume was cherry-flavored jelly of some sort. "This is good."

"I'm glad you appreciate them, dear," the elder woman said with a warm smile, the kind Samus could only guess that a grandmother could give. "By the way, I don't believe we've introduced ourselves yet. Call me Mrs. Orange."

"Mrs. Orange?" Samus asked as she bit into another cherry cake. "That's an odd name."

"No more curious than your name I would presume," the woman said with a chuckle.

The bounty hunter nodded. The elder had a point. "I'm Samus Aran."

The woman laughed quietly. "And I do consider that an odd name. But it somehow just suits you, dear." Mrs. Orange sighed with a smile. "You know, Snowball seemed very concerned about you."

"Snowball?"

"Yes. She's a white she-wolf that lives around these parts. She may be a bit scrappy, but she really is the sweetest thing. She just loves scarfing down my cherry cakes. According to Issun, he and Snowball found you near the Moon Cave that lies at the center of the nearby lake."

It then clicked in Samus's mind. That wolf she had fought must've just been curious about her ship. It even took her to be treated in case she had any injuries. But thanks to the Power Suit, she felt only bruises and a scrape or two. "I should've figured."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Could I see this wolf for a minute?"

"I suppose. She should be outside playing with the children."

Samus nodded, stood and stretched, and headed out after giving another thanks for the cherry cakes. When she exited the small house, she found herself in a village filled with the laughter of young children and the hearty shouts of men at work. This place seemed to be truly at peace. She saw a small group of young ones running around, apparently playing a game of tag. She could see that the white wolf was among them and two other dogs, running around and barking happily.

She sighed at the sight. _How did I lose to something that acts like that?_

-o-

In the Agata Forest, within a dark cave, Madame Fawn tossed her collected bones onto the table before her. Seeing nothing important, she scooped them all back up and tossed them again. She repeated this process a few times before stopping and sighing in boredom. There didn't seem to be anything of any relevance to examine. She stared at the scattered pile of bones for a few seconds. She decided to toss them one more time. When the bones rolled and stopped, she studied them for a moment. Suddenly, her eyes widened fearfully.

"Oh, dear," she said as she turned and grabbed a scroll out of one of a handful of slots. She opened it and read through it, her eyes darting across each and every letter. "This is an ill omen."

She quickly scooped up the bones again and dumped them into a small pouch. She gathered everything else that she deemed necessary and headed out, making a path for Kamiki Village. _I must warn them all before this comes to pass!_


	4. Chapter 4

Samus watched as the white wolf that Mrs. Orange called "Snowball" played with the children, running about with no apparent lock on what they were doing. She couldn't help but feel insulted; the wolf had beaten her, brought her to its home to be treated, and now it was playing some stupid game with no point to it as if nothing happened. The wolf didn't seem to notice her yet, so she decided sit under a tree with pink leaves, a cherry blossom tree, she surmised. She saw the wolf tackle a large bulldog and quickly move on to pouncing another target. The silver-furred creature seemed happy.

"Hey, there!" piped up a shrill little voice. Samus looked around and found nothing. "Down here." She followed and, certainly enough, there stood a tiny little creature that seemed to glow a bright green. It hopped up and down excited when Samus acknowledged it. "About time you noticed me! Man, you've got one heck of a body!"

Samus raised an eyebrow at the creature. "And just what are you supposed to be?"

"Name's Issun, babe!" the little thing replied. "And what about you? Surely a girl as hot as you has an equally beautiful name!"

"Samus Aran," the bounty hunter replied. Issun stopped bouncing when he heard that.

"Geez, that's a masculine name," Issun stated. "Your parents must've been on something when they named you." Samus glared at the sprite angrily at that. "Whoa. That's one hell of a death glare."

"Don't talk about my parents, you little insect," Samus warned. "Just one step is all it'd take to kill you."

"All right, all right. Sheesh. You really need some anger management classes or something." Issun watched the blond woman curiously for a few moments before speaking again. "By the way, why did you try to kill me and Ammy?"

"Ammy?"

"That white wolf," Issun explained. "I was riding in her fur at the time. Why did you try to kill us?"

"That first attack was a warning shot," Samus stated rather nonchalantly. "I wasn't looking for a fight. Your precious mutt is the one who really started it."

"Hey, Ammy's no mutt!" Issun shouted indignantly, getting the wolf goddess's attention. "She's the great sun goddess Amaterasu! Show some respect!"

"That dog is a goddess?" Samus asked with a raised eyebrow as Amaterasu padded her way over. "Please. There's no such thing as 'gods' or 'goddess.' Religion is nothing more than a fabrication created by the mind to explain the unexplainable."

"So, what?" Issun asked somewhat angrily. "You don't believe in anything?"

"I only have faith in two things really," the bounty hunter replied almost lazily. "One is science, and the other is that my clients pay me at the end of every mission."

"So you're basically a greedy atheist?"

Samus shrugged. "If that's what you want to call me, be my guest. I've never really cared what people think about me. I'm usually just a means to an end anyway."

"And does _that _mean?"

"I'm a bounty hunter. I hunt people for a living. I sometimes even fight in all-out wars."

"Someone as pretty as you is a warrior?" asked a little girl who had been curious about Samus. The bounty hunter noticed that a lot of the children that had been playing with Amaterasu had gathered around, all of them giving her curious stares.

"I'm not pretty," Samus stated flatly. "And I'm more of a hired gun than a warrior." She stood up from her seated position. "I'm going for a walk." With that said, Samus sauntered off, the children still staring at her in awe.

Issun hopped up onto Ammy's head and said, "Geez, she needs to lighten up a little. That sourpuss attitude is gonna give an ulcer someday."

Amaterasu didn't respond to Issun's words. She just eyed the blond woman curiously. If Samus Aran didn't believe in gods, then maybe she could restore whatever faith the strange woman might've had at one time. Ignoring Issun's complaints, she decided to follow after the female bounty hunter.

-o-

Samus wandered through the small village, passing several odd people. There was a guy with a beard and ridiculously hairy arms sword-fighting with a more heavyset fellow who had tons of different weapons strapped onto his back. She Mrs. Orange with old man who also had an orange atop his head – it was easy to tell that he was her husband. Samus had to admit that she was curious. From all the decorations all over the place, she could only assume that there probably going to be some sort of festival soon.

She soon came across a path that led up a hill, and went up it. Without much time wasted, she ended up at a fork in the road, and decided to head left, into what appeared to be a forest. It was really quite tranquil. She felt surprisingly at ease here. It was like she could just sit down and take a nap, and nothing bad would ever happen. But she knew better. Experience had taught her that it was usually the most peaceful places that ended up being the most dangerous.

Eventually, she found herself at an arch that had a very oriental design to it. Beyond it was a massive tree that dwarfed any other that she had ever seen in her life. Its leaves were bright pink, and would occasionally drop down from the branches, giving the enormous plant a mysterious elegance.

Without really thinking about it, Samus walked through the arch. She stopped when the world suddenly went dark. "What the?" She looked around, seeing nothing else out of the ordinary.

"Greetings, stranger," a woman's voice called. Samus turned, ready to fight, but stopped when she saw an elegant woman who wore very little to cover her modesty. She wore a green top that only covered her breasts, and a bright pink skirt adorned her waist and covered the rest of her lower body, save for her feet. She had long dark hair that reached down just past her knees. Not only was this woman extremely beautiful, she was also _floating_, which is what really caught Samus off guard.

"Who are you?" Samus asked.

"My name is Sakuya," the dark-haired woman answered. "And just who might you be?"

"I might be Samus Aran," the blond hunter replied. "And I might be wondering just what the hell is going on here. Care to explain?"

"It's really quite simple. You stepped through the Konohana Gate, allowing you passage into the realm of gods and spirits."

Samus rolled her eyes. "Not this bull again. Gods are nothing but a figment of mortal imagination."

"Then how do you explain me?" Sakuya asked with genuine curiosity.

"Simple. I'm guessing that people on this world are capable of things that you might call magic, when it's really just genetic mutation allowing you to do things that are otherwise impossible. There. A logical, scientific explanation for what you call 'magic.'" Sakuya cocked her head at the blue-clad woman… then promptly laughed. "What's so funny?"

Sakuya managed to stop laughing after a few seconds. "Oh, nothing. You're simply in denial. You see that light on my tree over there?" She pointed over to said light, and Samus nodded. "Go through it. If you truly don't believe in beings such as myself, then what you see on the other side of that light will prove it to you."

Samus again rolled her eyes. "One of us is insane." She walked up to the light, and cautiously put her hand inside. Nothing happened. She took a deep breath and stepped through the portal. If she ended in a place like Dark Aether, at least she knew who to blame if she died.

-o-

**Hmm. This ending is kind of iffy to me. Oh, well. By the way, if anyone has any questions about anything, I'd be more than happy to answer them. Just send them in via PM. All right, I'll talk to you guys later.**


	5. Chapter 5

Samus Aran had seen many strange things in her years as a bounty hunter. She had always considered the Chozo Ghosts of Tallon IV and possessed corpses of the GF Bravo Squadron back on Aether as the two most abnormal things she had ever seen in her life. But the place she was in now… "strange" didn't seem a good enough word for it. Outright bizarre was better. She stood on what could only have been a giant rock floating in space, but she could somehow still breathe normally. She knelt down and ran her hand through the grass. It was completely genuine, and even smelled like it was freshly cut.

_Where am I?_ the huntress asked herself. She headed forward, activating her Power Suit just in case it would be needed. She came across a cliff that she would have to Space Jump over. After performing the leap, she continued onward, soon discovering an odd-looking river that seemed to sparkle like the stars. She cocked her head to one side before deactivating her armor and reaching into the river. It was cool to the touch and flowed gently, but it didn't feel like water. Her hand didn't get wet. It was more like an odd kind of powder of some sort.

She reactivated her armor and scanned the material. Her armor's built-in CPU was unable to identify the substance, or even what made it up, which Samus immediately thought was impossible. All of her computer systems were constantly updated so that all new substances and creatures were listed in her personal database. It could be possible that she was looking at some as-of-yet undiscovered material. Maybe she could name it herself when she had time to think of something.

She managed to cross the river and reach the other side, where yet another portal awaited her. She sighed in alight annoyance. These people seemed to enjoy giant glowing doorways.

-o-

Amaterasu and Issun watched as Samus crossed the River of Stardust and entered the gateway that led to the path to the Cave of Nagi. She seemed slightly perturbed when she had analyzed the river, possibly because she had never seen anything like it before.

"Heh, she'll be believing in the gods in no time at this rate," Issun said with complete certainty. Ammy wasn't quite as convinced. She continued to tail the bounty hunter through the gate.

-o-

First, a rock out in space. Then, a river made up of who-knows-what. Now, Samus was in some kind of forest. It still seemed as though she was in space, but it felt just like the last place. It was obviously inhabited, but it also felt eerily devoid of life. She treaded down the path, ascending a flight of stairs and soon passing a waterfall.

She was almost certain that something about this place was just off. Well, other than the bizarre river of blue powder and constantly starry sky. It felt as though she was being watched from every possible angle. It set her on edge as she approached yet another flight of stairs. She could just see what looked like the entrance to some kind of temple at the top, and decided to investigate. Maybe she could find some answers there.

-o-

"She's going to the cave!" Issun announced. He chuckled to himself. "Just wait 'til she gets a load of Tachigami, or any other god for that matter."

Ammy rolled her yellow eyes and silently followed after the armor-clad woman.

-o-

The great stone statue stood proudly in the center of the cave, depicting a warrior holding his large sword toward the heavens. It may have been meant to illustrate a victory in some battle, or even some mythological hero. The latter was most likely, Samus concluded, considering how superstitious the people on this planet seemed to be. It could be possible that whoever this guy was, he may have actually been a being alien to this world, and was therefore capable of feats that the locals might call "magical." It was a good enough explanation. There was always a logical, scientific explanation for everything.

"Not too shabby, eh, ma cherie?" said a smooth male voice. Samus turned, her Arm Cannon at the ready, and saw a man wearing purple leggings and a pink top. On his head was a helmet that resembled the head of a hawk, with long white capes coming out on either side. On his feet were Japanese sandals with a single foot-long tooth. He was actually floating in the air, lounging as though it was no big deal.

"And just who the hell are you supposed to be?" Samus demanded.

"Ah, straight to the point, eh?" the man laughed and brought a flute out of his sleeves. Samus now also noticed that he had a sheathed sword on his hip. He twirled the flute a few times before moving into a sitting position. "The name's Waka, my dear lady. Pleased to meet you. Care to hear a song on my lovely little flute?"

"I'd rather not," the bounty hunter stated with narrowed eyes. She didn't really like it when he called her a lady. "What do you want?"

"I just thought I'd come to meet Nippon's newest visitor," Waka said with a smirk. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"

She glared at him, her cannon still ready to blast him apart. "Samus Aran. And I get the feeling that you're not just here for a friendly visit."

"Clever girl," Waka said with a chuckle. "You see, I'm a prophet of sorts, and I've foreseen that you will have a role in a rather unsettling destiny."

"Destiny?" Samus snorted. "Oh, please. That's just more superstitious bull."

"Care to at least a little prophecy exclusively for you?"

Samus just shrugged as she lowered her weapon but not her guard. "Why not? It's not like anything's going to happen."

Waka shook his head somewhat disapprovingly. "Well, here it is: Down a dangerous road you tread; soon your soul devoured as the demon's bread. Turn back now from this darkest path; lest you become a monster of wrath. I suggest you take great care to heed my prophecies. I've never been wrong before."

"Whatever," Samus said absently as she slowly returned her focus to the statue.

Waka observed the newcomer with a curious eye. She didn't seem to have any sort of faith in anything at all. It was actually kind of sad. He sighed and decided to take his leave. She would have to find her faith soon. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen, but a prophecy that dark wasn't usually a good thing. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something terrible was going to happen.

-o-

Aboard the pirate warship, the crew was celebrating the successful testing of their latest weapon as well as the removal of the dreaded Hunter. The captain of the vessel was ridiculously pleased with himself. The trans-dimensional warp cannon had worked wonders. The weapon had sent to the Hunter to some other dimension, so the Space Pirates would likely never have to deal with her again.

"Ah, the glory of victory," he mused to himself as he watched the stars pass by from the ship's helm. "Soon, the galaxy shall be ours."

"Sir," one of the crewmen said, getting the captain's attention. "Commander Ridley has just arrived. He seeks to speak with you in person."

"Commander Ridley? Here?" the captain asked. The subordinate nodded. "I see. Then I shall meet with him immediately." The captain rose from his seat and left for the hangar bay, where he knew for a fact that Ridley would be waiting for him. He silently prayed to whatever deity would listen that the pirate commander was in a good mood.


	6. Chapter 6

Samus eventually made it out of that unnatural realm and back in front of that tree, where Sakuya was apparently waiting for her. "Well?" the tree spirit asked. "What did you find?"

"I saw a parallel universe where the laws of physics aren't as strict," Samus answered logically. "I also discovered an unidentifiable blue powder-like compound that seemed to be flowing like some sort of river."

Sakuya cocked her head. "I see. I guess you still need further evidence. I suppose Amaterasu might be able to prove the existence of gods to you."

"That wolf?" Samus said with slight chuckle. "Don't make me laugh. The mutt might have some strange abilities, but I've seen enough things in the universe to know that its powers are most likely the result of some kind of experiment, or that it's really just machine wearing a costume of flesh."

The tree spirit sighed and shook her head. "Humans can be so stubborn. Very well then. Believe what you will. But know that just because you don't believe in something, that that doesn't make it any less real. Farewell, Samus Aran. May the fresh scent of flowers protect you." With that, Sakuya vanished in flash of pink light.

"Fresh scent of flowers?" Samus inquired to herself. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "The people here are even crazier than I am." She walked down the path that had taken her to Sakuya's tree and decided to go up the path that had been to her right. She ascended a staircase that took her to a small pond with a nearby by platform that overlooked the village below.

She wasn't alone, she realized. A middle-aged woman wearing brown rag-like clothes. She had a hat that held a pair of deer antlers, and had a large bag on her back. She was sitting in a meditative pose, her eyes closed. She appeared to be in deep thought, her breaths barely noticeable.

Samus approached the woman as silently as she could. She didn't recognize her from the village. Had she been here all along, or was she a new arrival? Judging by her outfit, she must have been one of the natives of this planet, but there was something… strange about her. Samus could practically feel some kind of energy coming off of the woman.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, nearly making Samus jump. "I have been waiting for you, Samus Aran," the woman said in a cryptic voice. "I am Madam Fawn, a seer from the Agata Forest."

"How do you know my name?" Samus asked suspiciously.

"I know many things. I know of your struggles, of the tragedies you have been forced to endure. I know that you are not of this world. I know that you have faced numerous foes in the past, and that one of them slaughtered your mother before your very eyes when you were just a child. I cannot see all things about you, Samus Aran, but I know enough to know that your nemesis is still very much alive."

Samus snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "No surprise there. He was never one to stay down for very long."

Madam Fawn eyed Samus with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. She closed her eyes again. "You must not seek vengeance."

"What?"

"If you seek vengeance," Fawn explained, "then you will soon be corrupted by hatred. Rage shall consume your soul, and you will lose yourself to your own animosity. Revenge is a double-edged sword."

"You have no idea how many times I've heard that before," Samus replied. "Besides, you have no right to tell me what I can and can't do."

"If you continue down this path, you will inevitably destroy yourself."

"It that's the price of eradicating that monster, then so be it." Samus walked off then, leaving Madam Fawn on that platform. The future-seer sighed. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She didn't realize the true ramifications that her path would bring.

"I know you are there, white wolf," she said suddenly. Amaterasu and Issun came out of hiding then, hopping out from behind a large tree. "It had been some time, has it not?"

"Yeah," Issun replied. "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your hut in that cave?"

"Normally, yes," Fawn replied in a dark tone. "Unfortunately, I have recently had a vision that could mean the end of Nippon. And it revolves around Samus Aran."

"Her?" Issun asked with his head cocked. "Why?"

"I know not the true reason," Fawn admitted, "but sorrow and contempt swirl around her like a typhoon. If she continues down this path of darkness, she will doom not just herself, but the entire world."

Issun gulped noticeably, and Amaterasu whined a little. "Sheesh," Issun said brilliantly. "Sounds like we have to keep an eye on her, huh, Ammy?" Amaterasu barked her agreement and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Fawn called to the wolf. Ammy turned back around and faced Fawn, who held out a small charm in her hand. "Take this seal. If bad comes to worse, place it on Samus's back. It will put her in a state of dormancy for as long as it remains on her body. But it will only work once, so be very careful with it."

Amaterasu nodded as Issun took the charm. "Don't you worry, lady!" the Poncle said confidently. "The world ain't ending on our watch!" Amaterasu then bounded off toward the village, where Samus must have gone after her conversation with Madam Fawn.

The seer took a deep breath and turned to face the sky. _At this point,_ she thought rather darkly, _I can only hope that apocalypse would be the greatest of our worries._

-o-

Samus walked down the dirt road that ran through the middle of the village, taking in the sights once again. The decorations were excellently crafted and beautiful, and the children running around playing their games was an oddly calming sight. It relieved her somewhat to know that there were some places where peace was free to prosper. It let her know that peace was more than just an idea.

Her mind wandered to what both that Waka guy and Madam Fawn had said. She didn't know why, but she had the strangest feeling that they could be right about something. Trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went, and she had a feeling in her gut that just screamed at her that something terrible was going to happen.

She shook her head, pushing those thoughts from her mind. Those two so-called "psychics" were probably just crazies who were just spouting nonsense. But even if that were true, how did Madam Fawn know her name? A lucky guess maybe? It wasn't likely. "Samus Aran" was an uncommon name, especially among women. Plus, she was on an alien world where they would likely have a whole other slew of names for people.

_"They know nothing," _a voice said from nowhere. Samus stopped and looked around, trying to find the speaker. She couldn't find anyone who was talking to her, but she easily recognized the voice as the one from that strange dream before. _"You must not acknowledge them. You must complete your vengeance. Seek me out, and I shall grant you the power to finally end your lifelong struggle against your enemies."_ The voice faded before Samus could respond.

"I must be hearing things," she muttered to herself. She could already tell that she was going crazy.


	7. Chapter 7

Amaterasu continued to follow Samus as she wandered through the village. The blond woman didn't seem to have any particular destination. Understandable, considering the fact that she was new here. The bounty hunter walked past every house, apparently looking for a way out of the village. Eventually, she stopped in front of Susano's house, behind which Susano was (shockingly enough) training with his large wooden sword.

Samus raised an eyebrow to the sight. She found it strange that someone would fight with a wooden sword. It was obvious that the people on this planet lacked the technology for energy-based weaponry, but that shouldn't mean that he couldn't use a metal sword.

Putting that thought aside, she walked over to dark-haired man, who was apparently now taking a break, happily chugging a bottle of sake. She rolled her eyes at this and shook his shoulder. He jumped at first, but calmed quickly. He relaxed and crossed his arms. "Hello, there, Miss. You must be that newcomer I heard about. Sam-something?"

"Samus Aran," the bounty hunter replied.

"Right! And I am Susano, the greatest warrior who ever lived! Charmed, I'm sure."

"Actually," Samus said, "I couldn't care less." Susano practically face-planted at that comment. "Look, I just need directions. I heard something about a nearby lake. I think something that belongs to me may be out there. Can you tell me where this lake is?"

Susano stood, brushing himself off. "You must be referring to Lake Harami, the home of the Moon Cave. It's just outside the village. Follow the path to the right, up the hill. You can't miss it unless you're blind or stupid."

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm neither," Samus stated as she left Susano and headed for the village's only exit, completely unaware that she had Amaterasu and Issun on her tail.

As soon as she got out of the village, she began to stretch out her legs and arms. She then stood up straight and activated her Power Suit. Fortunately, it didn't seem like her armor had been damaged. Her fight with Amaterasu had drastically weakened her suit's shield, but she still had four and a half Energy Tanks. It should be enough for now. She looked around the vast field before.

Now, Samus was not usually one who openly cared for beautiful scenery. She often just went through her missions without really looking at her surroundings. Get in, get done, leave. That's just how she did things. But the sight before her now… If she weren't currently wearing her armor, her jaw would've crashed into the dirt. Lush, green grass, rainbows of wildflowers, a crystal clear river, and single, large cherry blossom tree in the middle of it all created the most amazing place the bounty hunter had ever seen. "Wow," was all Samus could think to say.

She quickly shook her head and moved onward. She couldn't be distracted by plant life right now. As she walked, she noticed strange green scrolls hovering about. Indigenous creatures, she assumed. They didn't seem to be much of threat, so she ignored them completely, continuing on the path leading up the hill to where that Susano guy had told her the lake was. She couldn't help but notice that one of those scrolls was inching ominously close to her, but she just brushed it off as just some dumb, but curious animal and continued onward. That scroll seemed very intent on following her though.

Samus turned to confront the scroll, but didn't raise her weapon. The scroll came to a stop right in front of her. It just floated there, doing absolutely nothing else. She scanned it, trying to see if there was anything that she could compare it to. It showed very trace amounts of energy similar to the portals back on Aether, but at a far inferior degree. Portals. Wonderful. Out of sheer curiosity, she reached out and touched the scroll.

Suddenly, the scroll exploded into something similar to Japanese writing, creating a huge barrier about twenty meters wide. Samus immediately dropped into a combat-ready stance as a bizarre green humanoid creature appeared in bursts of smoke, armed with flutes that had small attached blades on the ends. Samus quickly scanned the creatures, but her database couldn't find anything similar to these things.

"What the hell are you guys supposed to be?" she asked, prepping her Arm Cannon for battle. The creatures answered by leaping towards her. She replied by opening fire on them with just her Power Beam, dropping the green freaks like flies. When they died, their bodies dissolved, their remains becoming small bushes of flowers that quickly faded away. Samus didn't know whether to call that odd or downright disturbing. Maybe both.

Just as she thought that she was done, a strange cloud of dark green smoke rose from the ground and solidified rapidly, taking on the form of a pinkish winged fish wearing a white kimono. It shrieked at her, its dark eyes burning with malice. It sort of reminded her of an aerial version of the Alpha Blogg on Aether. Except this thing was pink rather than black.

The fish creature dove at her, aiming to tackle her to the ground. She sidestepped the attack and fired at the beast, which nimbly evaded the attacks as easily as Samus herself would have. The alien creature then did something that caught her completely off guard: it tore off its own wings. The beast threw them at her like boomerangs, but she managed to dodge them both. One of the wings sliced clear through a boulder before returning to its owner. Samus made a mental note not to get hit by those things.

She switched to her Wave Beam, the homing properties of which should be able to outmatch the fish's agility. She fired four times, the fish evading each one. The Wave Beam shots promptly turned around and slammed into the creature's back, electrocuting it. Samus lowered her Arm Cannon as the fish shrieked in pain. It charged at her again, reaching out to grab her. She sidestepped again, but the beast caught hold of her leg and pulled itself onto her back, slowly inflating itself.

Samus struggled to get the creature off of her back, but couldn't reach. She could already tell what the creature was planning: it was likely going to detonate itself and try to take her with it, like how a Space Pirate Aerotrooper would dive bomb an enemy as a last resort. Except this might actually work.

Just when Samus felt that the monster was about to explode, however, she heard the sound of metal piercing flesh, and the beast released its grip, falling to the ground and fading away like the other creatures. Samus turned to face whoever had saved her, and saw none other than the white wolf Amaterasu.

"Hey, are you all right?" Issun asked as he hopped up and down on Amaterasu's head. "The Dead Fish nearly got you!"

"Dead Fish?" Samus deadpanned. "Really? _Really?_"

"Hey, I didn't come up with the name," Issun defended himself. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I'm going to my ship," Samus answered. "I'm going to try and repair so that I can get off this rock and go home."

"Oh. Well, you obviously don't know much about Nippon. Why don't Ammy and I stick with you? We've been all over. If you need anything, we might be able to take you to whatever you need."

Samus raised an eyebrow under her helmet. "Do you know the required components for a Class-1 fission reactor and S-Class thrusters?"

"Uh…" Issun replied brilliantly while Amaterasu just cocked her head in confusion.

"I didn't think so. I highly doubt your society has the parts that I would need to repair any damage to my ship."

"Well… still. If you need to go anywhere, we can take to wherever you need to go."

"What if I need to go off-planet?" Again, Issun and Ammy replied with confused expressions. Samus turned and continued on her journey to Lake Harami. "That's what I thought," she said as she walked.

-o-

Beyond the planet's atmosphere, space was slowly becoming distorted, starlight shifting unnaturally as dark green orb began to form. It snapped open, creating a gigantic portal, through which a massive cruiser came. Aboard the ship, within its helm, a huge, purple-scaled, yellow-eyed, dragon-like creature sat, licking his lips in anticipation.

"We have arrived, Commander," one Space Pirate said with bow. "This is apparently the planet where Aran crashed. We detect nothing of any major threat on its surface."

The dragon chuckled eagerly. "Then take us down," he said in a deep, guttural growl of a voice. "We will soon have Aran's head once and for all."

"Of course, Commander Ridley," the pirate replied as he passed on the order to the others. Ridley grinned as his tail swished back and forth behind him. This was going to be fun.


	8. Chapter 8

Her gunship was right where she left it, still looking like it had seen better days. There was a large dent in the hull, which she guessed might've been where she crashed into the ship when she was thrown away by that tornado created by Amaterasu. Other than that, it was mostly fine.

"So, how ya gonna do this?" Issun asked as hopped on Amaterasu's head. "You said that we don't have the things you need to fix that thing up, so what are you planning?"

Samus thought on that for a few moments. "I'll have to go inside and check it out from there. Stay out here." Before Issun or Ammy had a chance to argue, Samus went up to her ship's upper entrance and entered the craft. She immediately checked on the recharge station and medbay. Fortunately, they were mostly untouched and were still in working order. She then turned her focus on the ammo factory. It didn't have the luck of the rest of the ship. A quick scan revealed that it was too busted up to be of any use. Samus would have to completely replace once she got back.

"Conserve missiles," she said as she made a mental note of that. She went over to the recharge station and deactivated her armor, then sent a mental command through her Zero Suit to materialize her equipment into its compact token-like form. She placed in the station to recharge its shields, then went over to the cockpit and examined the console where Gear normally spoke from.

His entire personality and mindset were stored in there. At least, they should be. She pressed a few buttons on the console, hoping that it could wake him up, but to no avail. She sighed at this. It figured that things weren't going to be that easy. They never were.

She leaned back in the pilot's chair. She was stranded on an unknown planet, with no means of leaving unless she could fix her ship, which would likely prove next to impossible on such an underdeveloped world. Not only that, but the only one who could've helped her out of this was a fried computer brain. So far, she was having a pretty bad day.

"What can I do now?" she asked to no one in particular. She knew she would never get an answer.

_"Kamui…" _said a raspy voice in a harsh, whispering tone. Samus immediately shot straight up out of her seat, her head turning from side to side, searching for the speaker. She found no one. _"Kamui… what you seek lies upon the Ark…"_

"Ark?" she asked in reply. She recognized that voice. It was the same voice from that bizarre dream she had had. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

_"Go to the Ark…"_ the voice said quietly, clearly refusing to answer her. The voice didn't speak again. Samus shook her head. Was she just hearing things? Or was there really a voice? Either way, could it be trusted? What was on this "Ark" that the voice had told her about?

_At the very least,_ she thought, _it could be worth investigating._ Her mind made up, she picked up her gear from the recharge station and re-equipped it. She then left the ship and set foot back on the rocky island. Amaterasu barked at her as she approached.

"Well?" Issun asked.

"I don't know if I'll be able to leave anytime soon," Samus admitted. "But… I think I might have a clue as to where I might be able to get what I need to fix my ship."

"Really? What is it?"

"Is there a place around here called 'Kamui'?" the hunter inquired.

Issun stopped bouncing, clearly surprised that Samus knew of the icy region. "Yeah. It's up to the north. How did you know about it?"

"Can you take me there?" Samus asked, dodging Issun's question. The Poncle was none too pleased by this, but nodded regardless.

"You heard her, Ammy," he said to the wolf goddess. "Let's take her to Kamui." Amaterasu whined a little. "I know it's cold up there, but we said that we'd take her wherever she needed to go, and we're gonna do it. Do you wanna be a liar?" The wolf whined again, but didn't seem to give any real argument. She walked off, motioning with her head for Samus to follow. Samus obliged.

She found herself thinking back to that voice again. If she wasn't hearing things, where did it come from? Who did it belong to? Why was the owner of that voice so fixated with her? Why was she suddenly so important? Whatever the answers, perhaps this "Ark" held them. She may even get a few extra parts for her ship out of it.

-o-

Oki swung his blade at the training dummy, hacking the wooden doll in half with ease. He slashed at another, and another, until no more dummies stood. He twirled his blade expertly before sheathing it on his back. He could hear light clapping off to his right. He turned to see Kai applauding his swordsmanship, a small basket hanging from her arm.

"You never cease to amaze, Oki," she said with a wide grin behind her mask. "Lika made a few treats to share with the village." She held the basket up and opened it to show several fresh baked pastries. "I thought I'd bring some for you."

"Thank you," the warrior said, accepting the basket. "How is Lika faring? She is well I hope?"

"She's just fine, thanks for asking. Perhaps you should visit sometime. We could spend some time together."

"Perhaps," Oki replied. "But I…" He trailed off. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kai asked.

Oki shushed her. "Listen." Kai did as she was told, listening for anything unusual. Soon, she heard it. It was like a low hum. It sounded distant, but it was slowly getting closer.

"What is that?" she asked.

Oki looked up at the sky, where the sound was coming from. His eyes widened under his mask at what he saw. "By the gods," he muttered. Confused, Kai looked up as well. Her own eyes went wide as well, shocked at the sight far above her.

It was a massive flying machine that looked like a gigantic ball with three large spikes coming out of the front. It was like looking at an even more frightening version of the Ark of Yamato. It moved gradually toward the Ezofuji volcanoes, slowly descending as it approached.

"What in the name of all things holy is that?" she asked, clearly terrified at the sight.

"I do not know," Oki admitted, "but I will investigate. I want you to stay in the village, okay?" Kai nodded as they both ran up the path. For some reason, deep down in the pit of his stomach, Oki had a terrible feeling of dread. He just knew that something terrible was bound to happen.


	9. Chapter 9

Samus shivered slightly as she followed Amaterasu down the path that Issun had said would take them to Kamui. She didn't really see how a simple tunnel like this would take them to what the Poncle had told her was basically a frozen wasteland. She had to admit though, it was far longer than what she had expected. The cold had also hit fairly suddenly, and her Varia Suit had only just come online in response to the sub-zero temperatures.

Issun and Amaterasu didn't seem all that bothered by the cold. She assumed that it was because of the white wolf's apparently thick fur. She actually sort of envied that. Why couldn't humans have a fur coat of some kind?

"How much further?" she asked, slowly growing impatient.

"Not too far," Issun replied. He gave Samus a suspicious glance for a brief moment. "Can I ask why you think what you need is in Kamui?"

The orange-armored hunter had to think on that one. She didn't want to sound crazy. _"A creepy disembodied voice told me to find something called the Ark of Yamato."_ That didn't exactly sound professional. Instead of the truth, she said, "My ship detected an energy signature similar what powers it. I think I might be able to use it to get off this rock."

Issun raised a tiny eyebrow at that. "That still doesn't explain how you know the name of the place." Samus mentally cursed. Of course he'd ask about that. He was actually smarter than he let on.

"My ship has a long-range scanner and a universal translator," she said, hoping that her two companions would buy her fib. "I was able to find out the name of the place through that, but not its exact location." She eyed Issun carefully, but didn't move her head. It was almost impossible to discern whether he accepted her explanation or not, but it was also impossible for him to analyze her expression. She thanked the Chozo considerably for giving her a helmet with this design.

The Poncle simply sat on Amaterasu's head, his own head facing the bounty hunter accompanying them. "All right," he said reluctantly, still eyeing Samus as if he expected her to attack them again.

Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel and stepped out into a snowy, arctic region complete with grayish skies and snow descending from the clouds. It was cold, and the area looked almost dead, except for a few animals that scurried across the white blanket upon the ground. Samus scanned the place with her visor and her own eyes. For some reason, she had a really bad feeling in her gut. And those feelings were usually right.

She looked up at the sky. She knew that it was likely nighttime by now, but the stars weren't visible tonight. Probably because of cloud cover. She looked over to what appeared to be a pair of mountains that stood side-by-side. She could also see smoke coming from near the base off those mountains.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the pillar of blackened air. Amaterasu and Issun turned to see where she was pointing to, and immediately, they both looked like they had seen a ghost.

"That's too big to be a campfire," Issun stated. "And it's coming from Wep'keer, the village here in Kamui! We have to see what's going on, Ammy!" The wolf barked in response and dashed off. Samus quickly followed after them. If she had known what was waiting there, she probably would've tried a different strategy.

-o-

Oki slashed apart one of the demons that had poured out of the massive vessel that had landed near Laochi Lake. They all carried powerful weapons that he had never seen before. In fact, this was only his second kill out of hundreds. Their equipment was beyond the strength of what he and his fellow villagers had.

Samickle backed into Oki's back, his own sword braced for more fighting. Oki face his comrade and asked, "How many have you killed so far?"

"Only one," Samickle said darkly. "These monsters are far stronger than any creature I have ever faced before. I do not know how much longer the village will last."

"We have to keep fighting," Oki stated as the two were gradually completely surrounded by the monsters. "Right now, Wep'keer is all that stands between these beasts and the rest of Nippon. Maybe even the world."

"No pressure," Samickle replied in a snide tone. Oki chuckled a little to that. Things were bleak right now. But he had already told himself that he wouldn't die anywhere but in the battlefield. Perhaps Amaterasu will be able to stop these demons if he and his tribe cannot.

As the monsters approached them, the two swordsman prepared themselves for a battle to the death. But then, out of nowhere, there was a blinding flash of light, and the many of the creatures were suddenly sliced clean in half. A familiar white form with red markings leaped into the crowd of demons and hacked them to pieces with claws, fangs, and blades. Amaterasu then jumped over to Oki and Samickle, both of whom sighed in slight relief.

"Hey, guys!" Issun greeted, though he sounded frantic. "What's going on!? What are these things!?"

"I am unsure," Oki said. "But they are all very powerful. More powerful than any demon any of us have fought."

"They're not demons," said a woman's voice, calling the villagers' attention. They faced a figure clad from head to toe in orange armor, with a strange, cannon-like weapon on its right arm. "They're old enemies of mine."

"And you are?" Samickle asked suspiciously.

"This is Samus!" Issun said in introduction. "She says she's from space, but I think she's just crazy. You were saying, Samus?"

The bounty hunter grunted. "As I said, they aren't demons, though that's as good a description for them as any. They're called the Space Pirates. Their only goal is to become the supreme race in the galaxy, and to wipe out humanity in the process. They kill and steal without a second thought, and destroy everything that gets in their way."

"How do we stop them?" Oki inquired.

"_We_ don't." Samus's stated earned her confused stares from all present. "This many pirates? I doubt any of you would last half an hour against them. I'll take them down myself. Besides…" She cocked her Arm Cannon as she walked away from the Nipponese group. "I have a few scores to settle." Without Samus's acknowledgment, Amaterasu watched the huntress as she walked away, blasting every pirate that obstructed her path, eyeing her with a concerned expression. She had a dark feeling in the pit of her stomach.

-o-

Ridley watched from a perch high above the village as his troops sacked the puny village of underdeveloped humans. This was amusing for him. Watching humans run around in mass panic and attempt such a pointless resistance was gold-level entertainment for him.

Soon, his orange eyes fell upon a familiar, orange-clad figure blasting her way through his soldiers. He smirked at this. He couldn't wait to face down with his nemesis again. "This will be fun," he hissed almost gleefully. Yes. It would be fun indeed.


	10. Chapter 10

Samus barely bothered giving her all against the pirates. She merely blasted them with beams and missiles and kept on moving onward up the path through the village. Each villager she passed watched her, though with what expression was difficult to discern, considering they were all wearing stylized masks that were apparently based on different animals. She didn't really care what they thought of her though. She had her own concerns.

As she fought past the pirate hordes, she could hear that voice again. Its smooth rasp echoed in her mind, telling her to keep doing what she was doing. Not that she needed someone to tell her to kill Space Pirates of course. She had been doing it for years. It was second nature at this point. But that voice… the more it praised her actions, the more pleased she felt as well. It was strange. She couldn't help but appreciate the voice's understanding of her, whether it was real or not.

She soon made it to the top of the hill that the village was built on, and followed the path further towards a gate as pirates charged at her. She scowled at this and unleashed a barrage of Seeker Missiles at them, destroying several in just one shot. She charged up her Plasma Beam as more sprinted to her position, and then activated her most powerful Missile Combo: her Flamethrower engulfed the force of pirates that had dared to challenge her.

Normally, she would simply leave the scene after using the Flamethrower, but this time, she stayed. She just watched as the pirates burned and screamed in agony as the blaze ate them alive. Some sick part of her actually… enjoyed it. She liked watching them suffer. She shuddered, though whether it was from pleasure or disgust, she couldn't tell. She had never done something quite like this before, just watching as her enemies suffered. Not even with the Pirates.

Once the pirates finally finished screaming, and were all motionless and still burning on the ground, Samus walked past their corpses and through the gate. She could wonder about whys later. She needed to find where the Pirates were coming from and destroy them as soon as possible. Lives were on the line.

_What have these people ever done for you?_ And right on cue, the voice had spoken up. _They have never helped you. They are not worth your time. This is not to protect them. This is personal._

That's right. The people of this land never did anything for her. Why should she save them? She had a vendetta to deal with. That's all that matters. It's all that ever mattered.

"I'm going to kill them all," Samus muttered to herself. If she had listened harder, she would've heard the sound of a pleased chuckle come from behind.

-o-

Ridley eyed the metal boat that floated several feet above the frozen lake. It resembled one of the ancient sea-faring vessels that humans would've ridden in their most primitive times, only it floated in the air rather than on the water. It was engraved with many strange markings, each one looking like some sort of creature: there was spider, and eight-headed serpent, a foxlike being, a hooved beast that bore a humanoid torso, an armored figure, and several others.

However, the one that really caught his eye was a circular emblem that appeared to be a hand of some kind holding an orb. That one was unique in the sense that it was blood-red, unlike the others, which were all blue. It fascinated him to almost no end. Why was it a separate color? What did it represent? Thievery? Conquest?

What was on the ship anyway? Treasure of some variety most likely. Or it could've been some kind of prison designed by a race not from this particular planet. Or, better yet, it stored a weapons cache. He grinned at this idea. Anything that could advance the Pirates' military prowess would be well received by High Command. Perhaps he may even be promoted for acquiring this ship's contents as well as the head of Hunter Samus Aran.

"Ridley," said a familiar, female voice. And right on schedule, too. The dragon turned to face the armored woman, who already had her Arm Cannon trained on him. "I should've known you'd be here, you snake. You're always where I least want you to be."

Ridley chuckled at this. "What sort of pirate would I be if I didn't stand against someone who's made countless attempts on my life?" he asked as though he were the victim rather than a murderer. Samus sneered at his tone, at the mere sound of his guttural voice. The true target of all her hatred was standing right in front of her yet again, almost as if fate just loved mocking her. His sickly yellow, villainous eyes held that same twisted look as when they had first met all those years ago. His eyes never changed. Always twisted. Always evil. Always despicable.

He needed to die.

"I'm going to kill you now, Ridley," Samus announced with spite in her tone. The voice in her head lauded her words and intentions. She was glad that it was pleased.

The dragon grinned at her statement, his long tail swishing behind him, both actions betraying his eagerness to do battle with his only true nemesis. "Then let's not delay any longer, Aran!" Without warning, he charged at the bounty hunter, who just as quickly unleashed a volley of Power Beam shots aimed at the dragon's head as she leaped away to the side. Ridley managed to move his head away from the bolts just before they could land, his mouth already glowing a searing red-orange.

Samus instinctively used her Space Jump thrusters in conjunction with her Speed Booster, launching herself hundreds of feet into the air to avoid the fire bomb that had launched out from Ridley's mouth. The pirate commander met her in the air as she was falling back to the ground, grabbing her by her leg and spinning rapidly, only releasing her to toss her back to the snowy earth with a painfully loud crash. He released another breath of flame at the hunter, who was too stunned to evade the attack. The flames enveloped her body, eating away at her suit's shields.

_Pathetic,_ the voice muttered with clear disappointment. _You are letting him win. Are you that weak?_

She scowled at that question. "I'm not weak," she said as her Energy Tanks dropped to half. "I'm not weak…" She moved to stand up, ignoring the force of the flames attempting to push her back down. "I… am not…" She looked straight up, directly into the source of the inferno. "WEAK!"

Ridley could never have expected what happened next. Never in a thousand lifetimes would he have guessed that it was possible. But it happened. Samus Aran flew straight up, right into his abdomen with enough force to stop him from breathing fire and force him to cough out blood. She hadn't used any of her suit's functions from what he could see. She simply jumped into him.

Samus took hold of the dragon's neck, squeezing brutally, and tossed him down to earth. When he crashed into the same crater that she had been in not ten seconds ago, she looked at herself. The first thing she noticed was that she was _floating_. None of her suit's upgrades were being utilized. She was legitimately defying gravity. She soon also noticed a bizarre, smoky aura was oozing off of her armor. She had her suit's on-board compute run a medical diagnostic of her body. Everything had been enhanced; the diagnostic showed a dramatic increase in her physical strength, and an automatic simulation had demonstrated that was also faster. But how? What was this power? It felt… incredible. It was like she had achieved nirvana in less than an instant.

_This is power,_ the voice explained. _Embrace your vengeance. Wreak havoc upon all those who wronged you in the past. None of them deserves mercy._ Samus thought on that for several seconds… and grinned. A chance to avenge all the wrongs committed against her? An opportunity to slaughter every Space Pirate in existence? It was simply perfect.

But why should she stop with the Pirates? The Federation had used her numerous times. They disregarded the warnings given by the Chozo and herself and attempted to reproduce Metroids as weapons. And when she destroyed them, the Federation had tried to deny the whole thing. Then the X-Parasites came along. After she had dealt with that, she was branded a traitor and forced into becoming a fugitive. They would all pay dearly for it.

They will all burn and die before her. And she'll stand there laughing as they pleaded mercy. Yes. That sounded like fun. Revenge was her mission now. And she'll more than gladly see it through.


End file.
